Thornton Police Department

Citizen’s Academy CurriculumPage 1 of 9

Session 1 – Orientation – Tuesday, August 20, 2013Week 1

Time / Instructors /

Topics Covered

/ Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. –8:00 p.m. / Academy Staff / Academy Overview
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM / Introduction of Staff
Class Introduction
Curriculum
Completion of Forms
Ride-A-Long Program
Identification Badges
8:00 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Academy Staff / Department Tour
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM / Physical view and explanation of department facilities / Tour
Class discussion
Class discussion
Overhead

Session 2 – Wednesday, August 21, 2013Week 1

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. –7:30 p.m. / Chief Nelson / Welcome / Department’s Mission and Vision Statements
Department’s Core Values
Department Strategic Priorities
Organizational Structure / Student Introduction
7:40 p.m. –8:00 p.m. / Deputy Chief Reather / Administration Division / General Overview
8:00 p.m. – 8:20 p.m. / Deputy Chief Manka / Detective Division / General Overview
8:30 p.m. –
8:50 p.m. / Deputy Chief Cross / Patrol Division / General Overview
8:50 p.m.- 9:20 p.m. / Communications Center Manager Shear / Communication Center / General Overview

Session 3 – Wednesday, August 28, 2013Week 2

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. –7:15 p.m. / Cmdr. Zabroski / Professional Standards
POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAINING ROOM / Code of Conduct
Administrative vs. Criminal
Complaint Process
Supervisory Review
Formal vs. Informal / Class discussion
7:15 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. / Cmdr. Zabroski/Kandt/
Atkins / Hiring Process
POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAINING ROOM / DRCOG
Selection Steps
Recruitment

Career Days
Community College Academy

/ Class Discussion
8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. / Cmdr. Vitgenos and FTO Wilson / Field Training Officer (FTO) Program / FTOs
Training / Class Discussion

Session 4 – Wednesday, September 4, 2013Week 3

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. –
7:00 p.m. / Comm. Center
Mgr. S. Shear / Communications Center / The Communications Center (Dispatch) function and responsibility as part of the police and fire operations.
7:00 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Det. D. Parker/ TBD/Dan Smith / Criminal Law
POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAINING ROOM / What actions constitute a criminal act?
Discussion of probable cause. Miranda and arrest procedures.
Discretion. / Sample situation, class discussion and role-play exercises.

Session 5 – Wednesday, September 11, 2013Week 4

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. / CSI Young / CLASS PHOTOGRAPH
**WITH POLO SHIRTS**
6:30 p.m. –7:30 p.m. / Cmdr. Carbone / Use of Force
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM / Laws and Policy
Force Continuum
Department Philosophy
Training / Class discussion
Overhead of Use-of Force Continuum.
7:30 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Cmdr. Carbone
Ofc. B. Twinem
K-9 Spike
Officer Potter
K-9 Nero / Police Service Dog Unit
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM /

Law
Policy
Training
Equipment
Selection of handler and animal

/ Demonstration, information and discussion on the use of police service dogs – K-9.

Session 6 – Wednesday, September 18, 2013Week 5

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. / Sgt. Lewis and Traffic Staff / Traffic Enforcement / Objectives of Traffic Enforcement
Directive Patrols
Saturation Patrols
Check Points / Class discussion
7:30 p.m. –
9:30 p.m. / Sgt. Cabot and
Traffic Staff / Drunk drivers
*Volunteer drinking team need to begin their activity by 6:00 p.m. / DUIs and statistics
Drug Recognition Expert (DRE)
Nystagmus
Roadside maneuvers
Intoxylizer / Class discussion followed by student participation on roadside maneuvers, Nystagmus and the intoxylizer using volunteer officers who are our control group drinkers.

Session 7 - Saturday, September 21, 2013 Week 5

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
9:00 a.m. –5:00 p.m. / Cmdr. Carbone
EVOC Staff
Sgt. P. Hawkins
Sgt. M. Cabot
Staff / EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operations Course)
LOCATION TBD / Law
Policy
Driving
Vehicle Dynamics / Demonstration and student participation in driving a police patrol vehicle.

Session 8 – Wednesday, September 25, 2013Week 6

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. –8:00 p.m. / CSI Doug Young / Crime Scene Processing
POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAINING ROOM / Evidence Identification and collection
Viewing of crime scenes (video or slides) / Class discussion
8:00 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Det. Barkley/Beary / Computerized Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) / Class demonstration

Session 9 – Wednesday, October 2, 2013Week 7

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. –7:30 p.m. / CERT
Sean Shelley
Bill Gaskins / Crime Enforcement Response Team (CERT) /

Mission
Strategy
Structure

7:30 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Sgt. Long / Criminal Investigation
DETECTIVE DIVISION
TRAINING ROOM / Methods of Investigation
Case load
Case management
Clearance
Value of evidence / Discussion on investigation techniques and evidence

Session 10 – Saturday, October 5, 2013Week 7

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
9:00 a.m. –3:00 p.m. / Cmdr. Bella
Range Staff / Basic weapons orientation and safety.
(Longmont/Boulder County Range)
* Brown Bag Lunch *
While ½ of the class goes through weapons orientation on the live range, the other ½ of the class will attend FATS. Groups will switch during the noon break.
Firearms Training System (FATS) / Pistol
870 Shotgun (Lethal)
870 Shotgun (Less-Lethal)
.223mm Carbine
Safety Lecture
Home Safety
Range Rules
Judgmental Training Simulator / Firing weapons at the range on a voluntary basis
Students instructed in firearms and allowed to fire rounds at the range.
5 Pistol rounds each
5 Carbine rounds each
2 shotgun rounds each
2 shotgun beanbag rounds each.
Students will be grouped in teams of four. Each student in the group will be assigned their own range safety officers.
Hands on scenario based training. Each student will have approximately 20 minutes to go through the various decision making exercises.

Session 11 – Wednesday, October 9, 2013Week 8

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. –7:45 p.m. / Sgt. Vermilye
Sgt. Hendrixson / Watch philosophy and watch structure
PATROL DIVISION WATCH BRIEFING ROOM / Watch briefings
Incident debriefings
District assignments
District configuration
Field deployment equipment
Patrol watches / Class discussion
8:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. / Team Ldr. Wilson
and SWAT Staff / Building search / Officer safety concerns
Search techniques / Class discussion, followed by practical scenario exercises during session #12
8:45 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Ofc. Avila
Sgt Boal / Vehicle stops / Probable cause for the stop Routine vehicle stops
High-risk vehicle stops / Class discussion followed by practical scenario exercises during session #12
Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. / Cmdr. Peters
Sgt. Gerhardt / Dangerous Drugs
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM / North Metro Task Force
Drug problems in Thornton and their relationship to other crimes. / Class discussion, view of various drugs and paraphernalia display.

Session 12 – Wednesday, October 16, 2013Week 9

Session 13 – Saturday, October 19, 2013Week 9

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
9:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m. / Cmdr. Vitgenos/ Officer Dan Wilson and SWAT Staff
Ofc. Avila
Sgt. Boal
Ofc Cline / Vehicle Stops
Building Search
Location TBA
Lunch Provided (Alumni) / High-Risk Stops
Tactics and techniques / Students will participate in active decision making scenarios, which will include the use of paint ball weapons and safety equipment. Each scenario will be followed up by a debriefing and group discussion. One half of the students will participate in building search while the other half is involved in vehicle stop exercises. The groups will then rotate.

Session 14 – Wednesday, October 23, 2013 Week 10

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. / Ofc. Lucero / Gangs & Taggers
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM / Problems and issues regarding youth in these activities and the impact on our community. / Class discussion, gang and tagger paraphernalia display.
7:30 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Ofc. Marting / New Street Drugs / Class discussion
New Street Drugs Display

Session 15 – Wednesday, October 30, 2013Week 11

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. –7:45 p.m. / Cmdr.Brown
Sgt. Evans / Youth Services Unit
Fire Station 5 / SRO, The Link, Youth Diversion Program, Hooked on Fishing / Class discussion
8:00 p.m. –
8:30 p.m. / Deborah Dunbar
VA Staff / Victim Advocate Program / Psychology and emotional aspects involving victims and the police / Class discussion
8:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. / Det. Beary / Senior Liaison / General Overview / Class discussion
9:00 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Ofc. Barnes / Crime Prevention Unit / Program overview / Class discussion

Session 16 – Wednesday, November 6, 2012Week 12

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. / Cmdr. Vitgenos/Officer Dan Wilson and SWAT Staff / Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT)
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM / Why SWAT and what is it?
Joint team and structure
History
Our training and selection process. / Class discussion
Static display of SWAT equipment and weapon systems.
8:10 p.m. –9:30 p.m. / Cmdr.. Vitgenos/Sgt..Boal and CNU Staff / Crisis Negotiation Unit (CNU) / What is CNU?
How does SWAT/CNU work together?
CNU training and selection process. / Class discussion and display of equipment.

Session 17 – Saturday, November 09, 2013Week 12

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
10:00 a.m. –2:00 p.m. / Sgt. Vermilye/Orcutt/
Boal/Hendrixson and DT staff / Arrest Control
Defensive Tactics and Tools
Taser
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM / Control maneuvers
Arrest Control
Handcuffing
Tools Used

PR-24
OPN
OC
Handcuffs
Flex Cuffs
Kick Stop Restraint
Restraint Chair
Empty Hands
Fist Suit
Red Man Suit
Red Guns
Taser

/ Demonstration followed by student participation in basic arrest control techniques, handcuffing and tool use.
Information and demonstration on the Taser.

Session 18 – Wednesday, November 13, 2013 Week 13

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. / Dr. Nicolletti
And Staff / Police Psychology
POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING ROOM / What officers experience…suicide, SIDS, homicide, traffic accidents, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder / Class discussion
8:10 p.m. -9:00 p.m. / Det. M. Hawkins
Sgt. P. Hawkins / Life on the Street / A day in the life of a police officer – rewards – concerns – family / Class discussion
9:00 p.m. –
9:30 p.m. / TPD Alumni
Ms. Wendy Miller & Staff / Citizen’s Academy Alumni / What is an alumni?
What is the function of an alumni?
How do I join the alumni? / Class discussion
9:30 p.m. –
10:00 p.m. / Academy Staff / Academy Critique / Oral review of Citizen’s Academy Class 2008 by students and staff / Class discussion

Session 19 – Monday, November 18, 2013Week 14

Time / Instructors / Topics Covered / Areas / Class Participation
6:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m. / Chief Nelson
Deputy Chiefs
and C.A. Staff / Graduation Ceremony
Margaret Carpenter Rec Center / Color Guard/Pipes & Drum
Certificates
Open house with academy staff, alumni and instructors, CMO staff and graduate family members.
Reception / Presentation of certificates and mementos by the Chief, gathering with a pot luck dinner.